The present invention relates to a cover assembly for a well casing. More particularly, the present invention provides a protective cover assembly for the portion of a well casing disposed above ground. The present invention further provides a method for positioning the cover assembly over the well casing with the cover assembly extending and anchored below ground.
In areas where water is supplied from aquifiers located deep beneath ground level, water wells are commonly formed by boring to the appropriate depth for tapping the aquifier and then lining the bore with a circular steel casing. Generally, the steel casing has an inside diameter of six inches and projects from six inches to a few feet above the surface of the ground.
A submergible pump is lowered into the casing to the water level, and water is pumped up through a pipe or hose to a discharge connection located below the frost line. An electrical cable extends from the submerged pump, out the upper end of the casing, to an electrical conduit placed along side the casing. The conduit carries the cable back down along the outside of the well casing to a depth of a least a foot below ground and then under the ground to an electric supply.
The upper end of the casing must be closed to prevent foreign matter from entering the well and damaging the pump or electrical cable. A number of well closures are commercially available for this purpose; however, none of the designs presently in use completely encloses the portion of the well casing and its associated conduit which extend above ground level. Thus, with prior art well closures, a portion of the well casing and conduit is left exposed and subject to mechanical damage. Further, the metal well casing is exposed to damage by lightning. Finally, the projecting end of the casing and conduit present an eyesore, especially in the case of residential water wells.
Accordingly, it is an aim of the invention to provide a protective cover assembly which completely enclosed the portion of a well casing and an associated electrical conduit that extends above ground level.
It is a further aim of the invention to provide a cover asesmbly that protects the well casing and the pump and electrical cable it houses from damage by lightning.
It is a still further aim of the invention to provide a cover assembly that presents an attractive appearance.